Media reports indicate that legionella, the bacteria responsible for Legionnaires’ Disease, has been detected in both the Coast Guard base and Corps of Engineers water systems. As of yet, no cases of illness have been reported. Officials are currently sanitizing the water system and cautioning employees not to drink the water. Galveston has been the site of a earlier Legionnaires’ Disease scare when, in December of 2008, legionella was detected in the University of Texas Medical Branch’s water system.

UPDATE: As of February 13th, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district headquarters has been declared free of legionella bacteria. The entire water system was flushed with a chlorine solution for 48 hours, destroying any remaining bacteria.

According to Greek officials, a third infant has died due to the presence of Legionella bacteria in a maternity ward at a private clinic in the capital city of Cypriot. A fourth remains in critical condition at a state run hospital. In total, 11 infants have fallen ill.

Six infants were released from a hospital on Cyprus after being diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. The water used in the humidifier in the neonatal unit is suspected as the source of the infestation because it tested positive for elevated levels of the legionella bacterium.